Despite a few rough edges this is a pretty decent stealth game, some crticisms are a bit unfair, I feel.
I was attracted to the game by the inspiration of the game, however loosely, on the real life exploits of a female agent, which I do think it's cool.
I'm not finished the game but am far enough into it to weigh in, I feel.
There's already been plenty said from both players and critics so here's my own take on some of the talked about aspects of the game (I'm playing at the higher difficulty level, so this is reviewed from that setting):
-It has been criticized as being too linear and the AI too scripted. Both of which are true, in fact it's linearity is my main complaint. Fortunately, there are secret objectives that adds a bit of spice (and tension, since it may take you farther from a save point). The AI are scripted but this is true for stealth games in general, or else they would become hair-pulling exercises in frustration. HOWEVER; despite the scripted AI, it's still flexible enough that I have found through repeated attempts at difficult areas that different approaches are possible.
-Another criticism is that there is not enough ammo and you can't loot the soldiers for weapons and ammo. At first I thought the same thing but after a few levels I find that there's sufficient ammo even for me, who prefers the gun. This is a STEALTH game, afterall, she's a spy and can't be going around blasting everyone with noisy machine guns. The restriction on ammo realistically keeps it from becoming a shooter. There ARE parts of the game that require firefights and so far I am satisefied with the way they've been implemented.
-Viollette is limited in how she moves and where she can go; this is true but this is supposed to be an ordinary woman forced to do extraordinary things in a pivotal point in our history. It would not be realistic for her to be doing crazy acrobatics.
-Gamplay contrivances such as shooting oil puddles, electrifying water, pulling the grenade pins from soldiers. Honestly, theses are harder to use than they sound; but other than pulling a few granade pins I have not used any of these, the game IS fexible enough that you can use different methods. These are not always 100% effective either, so it does keep you on your toes.
-Morphine mode; I have to agree with most comments that this is a strange contrivance. HOWEVER; I find that I rarely use it, it's much more fun doing it the old-fashioned way. I only use it rarely as a desparate last resort, like taking out that last guard who sees me and i just missed my shot. So while it may not be the best fitting element of the game it doesn't have to become a crutch.
So there you have it, my take on the game's talked-about issues. It does have a few problems but overall it's fun and satisefying. The WW2 settings are quite realistic. The graphics are not top-notch but certainly good enough for a game played in the dark, and you rarely get close enough to see the soldiers' faces in detail anyway. The wide variety of kill animations are blood-curddling! They really make you realize just how nasty a business this simple woman is doing. It may be very loosely based on her real history but the game works well in taking you there.